St. Croix River State Water Trail Snapshot Tour

Welcome to the St. Croix River State Water Trail virtual tour! This federally designated Wild and Scenic River offers miles of stunning scenery, numerous landings, and a variety of paddle-in campsites. We hope the tour prompts you to visit the State Water Trail in person sometime soon.

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Main Landing: St. Croix State Park

The St. Croix River was designated a National Wild and Scenic River in 1968. The upper St. Croix River, just a two-hour drive from large metropolitan areas, retains a wilderness feel with heavily wooded banks and rugged islands. The Main Landing at St. Croix State Park offers fee-based camping, a cement boat launch, picnic tables, vault toilets, and drinking water. A Minnesota State Park vehicle permit is required on all vehicles using this boat launch.

The Kettle River Slough meets the St. Croix River in this quiet stretch where a paddler can enjoy the sounds of nature. This landing in St. Croix State Park offers a gravel boat launch, vault toilets, and drinking water. Water levels in the slough vary and can be a challenge to paddle by late summer when the water is low. When the St. Croix River is high, paddlers may encounter small rapids between Head of the Rapids Landing and the Hwy 70 Bridge.

The sand and gravel bottom of this stretch of river (south of the Hwy 70 Bridge) has excellent small-mouth bass fishing. The landing offers a boat launch, vault toilets, and small parking area. A short series of rapids can be found near the landing.

The river is wide and slow in this section, and boaters should be wary of sandbars during low water. The landing offers a cement boat launch and vault toilets. The National Park Service (NPS) has a number of paddle-in campsites located along the upper St. Croix River. Paddlers should contact NPS to learn about the special regulations for these sites.

This landing is within Wild River State Park and offers a large concrete boat launch, fee-based camping, vault toilets, picnic tables, and drinking water. A Minnesota State Park vehicle permit is required on all vehicles using this boat launch. Paddlers heading south from the landing should be aware of a 1.5 mile portage around the dam in St. Croix Falls if they wish to continue downriver.

Below the dam in St. Croix Falls, basalt cliffs border the river and provide a breathtaking backdrop. This is a calm stretch of river with excellent scenery. This landing within Minnesota Interstate State Park offers a small concrete boat launch, fee-based camping, vault toilets, picnic tables, and drinking water. A Minnesota State Park vehicle permit is required on all vehicles using this boat launch.

The National Park Service (NPS) has multiple paddle-in campsites located along the lower St. Croix River. Paddlers should contact NPS to learn about the special regulations for these sites. The Osceola Landing has two boat launches, a paved parking area, restrooms, drinking water, and picnic tables.

This landing is within William O’Brien State Park and offers a small concrete boat launch, fee-based camping, vault toilets, picnic tables, and drinking water. A Minnesota State Park vehicle permit is required on all vehicles using this boat launch.

This is a popular area for houseboats, cabin cruisers, pontoons, and fishing boats to put in on their way to the Stillwater Islands and lower St. Croix River. The boat launch has a single slip of concrete grade with a dock and a large parking lot. Upstream travel is not allowed north of the Soo Line High Bridge to prevent the spread of zebra mussels. Paddlers should be aware that this area of the river sees frequent motorized boat traffic.

Just north of Hastings, MN, the St. Croix River completes its 124 mile journey and meets the mighty Mississippi River. Paddlers should be aware that this area of the river sees frequent motorized boat traffic.